The invention relates to processes and apparatuses for disassembling tape cassettes having a housing and at least one closure flap connected thereto and at least one tape reel located in the housing, the tape cassette being transported past disassembly stations.
DE-A 42 21 340 discloses an apparatus for the automatic dismantling of cassettes. In this case, the cassette housing is dismantled by elements which are arranged on rollers or belts, can be moved in opposite directions and penetrate partially into the cassette. The internal parts still attached to some extent are subsequently separated from the housing by means of separating devices.
EP-A 0 577 008 describes a cassette which was designed for particularly simple recycling, since all the component parts of the cassette with the exception of the magnetic tape and the front flap spring are produced from the same plastic material. For the disassembly of internal parts, the cassette has a plurality of openings. It is thus possible, for example, to remove the tape retaining clips from outside and consequently to remove the magnetic tape without dismantling the housing. Another opening makes it possible for the front flap spring, which is freed after removal of the front flap, to fall out of the cassette housing.
The applicant""s EP-A 0 639 406 discloses a process and apparatuses for recycling magnetic tape cassettes, in particular video cassettes. A Material identification devices control the recycling process according to the particular material. In the case of this process, however, the video cassettes are conveyed over relatively long distances to disassembly stations before the cassettes are dismantled into their individual parts. Since, in this case, the closure flap remains connected to the cassette housing, difficulties may occur on the transporting route and during further disassembly.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid such difficulties.
We have found that this object is achieved by a process for disassembling tape cassettes having a housing and at least one closure flap connected thereto and at least one tape reel located in the housing, the tape cassette being transported past disassembly stations, if before or during or shortly after the opening of the housing a separation of the closure flap(s) from the housing takes place at the corresponding disassembly station.
In this case, the closure flap may be removed in a suitable way, still to be described, before the opening of the housing, in other words while the housing is still closed, during the opening of the housing, in other words at substantially the same time as the removal of the connecting elements while the housing is still closed, or at substantially the same time as the separation of the housing, for example into the bottom and top parts, or shortly after the opening of the housing, in other words when the housing parts, that is for example the bottom and top parts, have already been separated.
It is thereby ensured that
1. the closure flap cannot unintentionally become detached on the further transporting route of the cassette to be disassembled and, as a result, hinder or block automated disassembly operations, and
2. the closure flap is removed from the longitudinal side of the housing, where, as long as it is present, it blocks the entry of, for example, gripping elements of the disassembly stations,
3. if the closure flap consists of a different plastic than the housing, an early material separation can take place.